


Mirror Images

by Alisanne



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-14
Updated: 2015-01-14
Packaged: 2018-03-07 14:40:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3176342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alisanne/pseuds/Alisanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Self image is important.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mirror Images

**Author's Note:**

  * For [emynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/emynn/gifts).



> Written for my darling Emynn's birthday, which was several *cough* days ago. Her prompt: flangst, mirrors. Happy Belated Birthday, bb! <3
> 
> **Beta(s):** Sevfan.
> 
> **Disclaimer:** The characters contained herein are not mine. No money is being made from this fiction, which is presented for entertainment purposes only.

~

Mirror Images

~

Severus stared at his reflection. “Merlin, I’m ugly,” he muttered, noting his lines and wrinkles. 

“As I’ve said before, you’re not that bad, dearie,” said the mirror. “Your young man likes you well enough, anyway.” 

“For the last time, he’s not my young man,” Severus muttered, turning away. “He’s just...a friend.” _A friend who stops by every day for no apparent reason,_ said a mocking, mental voice.

“You don’t see how he looks at you.” The mirror sighed. “If you gave him a chance, he’d be yours in an instant.” 

“Shut up,” snapped Severus, flinging a Silencing Spell at it. “Meddlesome thing,” he muttered, stalking out into the main shop. “You know nothing.” 

“All the mirrors in this place are connected, dearie.” The voice was coming from the mirror facing the door. “I see everything, and I’m telling you, that lad wants to jump your--” 

With a snarl, Severus hexed that mirror silent, too. Wand still raised, he spun, looking around for more mirrors. “Anything else to say?” he shouted. “No?” His voice echoed in the empty space.

“I’d say no,” said a familiar voice behind him. 

Severus closed his eyes, lowering his wand. _Damn._ “Harry.” 

“Yep.” 

By the time Severus turned around and re-holstered his wand, Harry was completely inside the shop, the door was closed behind him, and he was watching Severus carefully. “Are you all right?” he asked. “You seem...agitated.”

“I’m fine.” Severus cleared his throat. “I was just clearing up a small...misunderstanding.” 

Harry raised an eyebrow. “With an empty shop?” 

A soft snigger came from one of the unhexed mirrors. Severus’ eyes narrowed and the sound cut off abruptly.

Harry didn’t seem to notice. “So how’s business today?” he asked. 

“Oh, the usual.” Severus moved around behind the counter and started wiping it down even though he’d just dusted it not ten minutes before. “Old men wanting Stamina Potion, young women wanting Love Potions--” he snorted. “The life of a potion shop keeper is hardly glamorous.” 

Harry leaned against the counter. “So you’d be able to close early, then?” 

“As I’m my own boss, yes, I suppose I could.” Exhaling in a futile attempt to dampen his body’s inevitable reaction to Harry’s proximity, Severus continued. “Exactly why would I wish to do that, however?” 

Harry grinned. “I got two passes to the opening of the International Potion Academy’s travelling exhibit. It’s here in London just for this weekend and so I thought maybe--” 

Severus blinked. “The IPA’s exhibit?” 

“Yep.” Harry held up the passes. His smile faded a bit when Severus didn’t say anything. “Do you not want to go? It seemed like your sort of thing--”

Severus swallowed. “Of course I want to go. This exhibit is centuries old and they only allow it to travel once every hundred years! And you need special dispensation to even see it when it’s housed in its home at the Louvre. When am I ever going to get there--?” 

“Is that a yes, then?” Harry interrupted, smiling. “Because it sure sounds like one.” 

“Yes.” Severus looked around the shop. “Just give me a moment to secure everything.”

Harry nodded. “Of course.” He licked his lips. “You realise this will be our first official date?” 

Severus froze. “Date?” he choked out. 

Harry smiled faintly. “Yeah. That is, if you like. I thought--” He looked down at the counter as if suddenly fascinated with the pattern in the wood. “Anyway, it doesn’t have to be. No pressure. Only I thought maybe--” 

Severus rested his hand on Harry’s arm. Harry immediately stopped talking. “I would love if this was date,” he murmured. 

Harry’s head popped up and he stared at Severus. “You would? Thank Merlin! I wasn’t sure, you see, but I thought you might feel the same but I couldn’t be sure, so--” He came to a stop. “And I’m babbling again. Sorry. You’re going to regret agreeing to go out with me at this rate.” 

Severus shook his head. “That’s highly unlikely. I’m not a fool, after all.” 

Harry’s grin was wide. “Are you ready?” 

“Almost.” Drawing his wand, Severus removed the hexes from the mirrors. “They’re part of my alarm system,” he explained at Harry’s quizzical look.

“Oh.” Harry coughed. “Is that why it was talking about someone wanting to jump you earlier?”

“You heard that?” Severus groaned. 

“Yep.” Harry clasped Severus’ hand, intertwining their fingers. “It sounded like they’d been trying to tell you that this person’s liked you for some time.” 

Eyes narrowed, Severus stared at Harry. “They have, yes. I’ve always thought they were simply exaggerating, however. Was I wrong?” 

“A bit.” Harry leaned in. “I feel like I’ve been pretty obvious for a while now.” 

“How long?”

“A few months.” 

“Months.” Severus shook his head. “And I thought they were making things up.”

“Nope.” Harry’s mouth was just a hair’s breadth from Severus’. “They knew what they were looking at.” He reached up, his hand cupping Severus’ face. “They know care when they see it.” 

When Harry’s lips touched his, Severus felt the jolt throughout his entire body, and as Harry pressed closer, Severus opened to him, sliding his arms around Harry’s waist as the kiss deepened. When they drew apart they were both flushed and panting. “So they weren’t lying?” murmured Severus.

“What, the mirrors?” At Severus’ nod, Harry leaned in, kissing him again, then nodded at a nearby mirror. “No way. Look at us. We’re brilliant together.” 

Severus studied their image. He looked younger, Harry looked the same, and yet, somehow, they fit. “Perhaps so.” Severus turned Harry away from the mirror. “Now don’t we have an exhibit to visit?” 

“Yes we do.” Harry clung to Severus’ hand as they started towards the door. “And after that, who knows?”

“Indeed,” said Severus, steering Harry through the door. 

“Have fun,” they heard just as the door closed. 

Grinning, Harry pressed a kiss to the corner of Severus’ mouth. “Good advice I think. We should follow it.”

And so they did. 

~


End file.
